, 1887-01-25
A MODERN GYPSY A
L. wakemAn With an Ancient
-Kncr-Camp by tho Rond.Idr.

Race-Camp by tho Roadside.
Any one would be interested in noting
how rapidly the members Of "A Gypsy
band adjust themselves TO their surround
ings when a camping place has been
reached. Almost within an hou the
place will have all the appearance Of
settled abiding. In every direction you
will SEQ in light and shadow the covered
wagons sheltered by the overhanging
foliage Of great forest trees. some OF the
meanest. poorest type, others rich i'll
trappings and decorations. Near to each
and scattered about the grass, or carefully
stretched over i~mprovised racks formed
by saplings bent and their tops fastened
by bark throngs to clumps Of brush or
stout wooden pegs driven into the
ground, or still hung upon the smooth,
outstretching limbs of trees, are saddles,
blankets, parts of harness, or various por-
ions of the outfit of the road. Here and
there are Light buggies. with which trad
ing is done at the distant town, or in
which shrewd dukkerers fortune ~tellcrs)
seek the credulous occupants Of outlying
farms.
Between all these, or tethered where
most convenient, are horses and mules in
Asl kt 4 UNI Va hA bAhI,as iAVahh
really excellent animals predominant,
munching their corn or nibbling at their
hay, cornstalks or freshly cut oats or
grass, and whinnying and snorting in
their needs md freaks as strapping lads
l~eisurely care for them. Within the open
spaces around which the wagons are
standing Invariably with the open fronts
facing these spaces and the closely cov
- ~. t..l tIn f.rnat .. ...l
arc scattered the tents, like great
brown wooden hoods, their mouths open
ing upon CHEEKY fires, at the side Of
which will always lie found the black
iron kettle sticks, from which are hang
ing, ut nearly all hours of the day or
night. the sizzling pots or singing kettles.
You will nearly always find this camp
near the highway, though almost as fire.
quently entirely hid from it. like II nest;
and, to my mind, the Gypsy camp always
recalls how, when l was "a brown faced.
tunicked country boy" with others of
my ilk, we hunted the nests of the
meadow lark, and passed and reIassed
them, at times stepping squarcly over
them without our prying eyes discovering
the tiny homes we were robbing, unless
mayhap the brown and notified little
mother. wild in fear, with IA whirr and
fiutter rose startlingly almost beneath our
very feet. Then there Is the stream.
large or small. never more than u few
rods distant. Below the camp-tha Is.
down the stream from it's the horse
path. where Gypsy lads lead the animals
to water, and from which, if the stream
be large enough, you will s,ss them daily
swimming the horses and mulcs-for
cleanliness Of person ind animals is a
part Of Gypsy religion-with much
laughter and jollity, ms | have seen The
gay nadadors disport with Havana horscs
in The sea of the Gale Anche del Norte
Above the camp II few rods is the path
where tho lads and lasses bring til,
drinking and cooking water. Midway
between there will be found n spot which
slopes to the stream. Here are sand and
pebbles cleaning in the sun, or may b. a
flat rock with freckled face md sides.
shelving over or into the water. II is
here the women come and duck their
chauvics, IA mother geese will school
their goslings, or where they wash their
clothing much after the fashion of Ger
man housewives dow in old Bavaria,
and upon the alders near will iluttcr
gowns that have "A witcling look is if par
taking OF their wcarcrs' race heredity,
while the red and yellow cotton stuffs in
undcrgarments, hnndkerchiefs, scarfs and
turbans Haunt airily, suggestive of old
Spain and the savage colors Of the Mos
lens that left barbarous tokens thread
ing down the centuries u the CASTLE OF
our own day. From divers ropes or
bark thongs, slung from clumps OF will
lows OF fastcnedto w%oodcnpegs driven into
the bank. may be traced closely covered,
well oiled tin pals or jugs Of earthen-
ware, resting in the cooling water, which
hold various cooked or uncooked articles
Of food. Over here, just at the edge of
the camp, you will see where the chau-
vios have disengaged a rugged old VIM
from II century-old tree and have trans
formed it II "a swing, or. in the alb
senco of that, have splicerl. is c~leycrly ~
could sailors, bits OF ropes into one-for
the clild-heart is the same the earth
round and there are great laughter and
happiness hcrc. -Edgar l.. Waterman in
Chicago News.